Red mullet, tick. Bivalve clams, tick. Fresh prawns, great stock, silky freshly made pasta tick tick tick.
The seafood items are difficult for most people to source for one dish but here in Dubai we have the most sublime of seafood it is actually possible to do such a stunning creation. The red mullet is a local catch (as are the prawns and clams). Fresh as fresh and fresh off the boat. An absolute honour to fillet, pin bone, de vein, clean, everything. Fresh from the sea is fresh from the sea. It's all just so sensationally clean smelling that dealing with it becomes a pleasure rather than a chore.
Tonight, we cooked together. We made a stock from the red mullet bones and prawn heads (saving one full prawn each. We love eating the heads (and for those of you who are saying yuk - I feel pity), saffron, pastis, white wine, fennel, onion, dill the usual then reduced.
Pasta is an easy knock up and fresh is best. Dried has an unusually slimey texture. Fine for a knock up but given an extra 10 minutes the fresh stuff is so silky it does not ever compete with dried (no matter what you read and Italians do not use dried pasta unless they are out of time which is common place. Fresh is a different ingredient that cannot be compared).
We cooked the prawns, cleaned of vein but with the shell on, in a hot pan. The shell imparts so much flavour and cooked in a little oil on a searing heat means they are edible and lend a lovely crunch (along with the taste). The clams went into the reduced stock in the final moments before tossing through the pasta. A little fresh chopped fennel and tomato, dill and chives were added as a finishing touch.
Without a doubt one of the best seafood dishes we have had ever anywhere. No this is not an exaggeration. Pure essence of the sea beautifully balanced. The additions of anise flavours, sweetness and acidity along with a little saffron. Very difficult to fault and who wants to fault a dish that all you are doing is eating and not touching the wine which was one of Slovenia's finest.
On to the wine. We picked it up from the wine maker who owned the villa in which we stayed late May. A Sauvignon but not as you know it. Mealy, nutty and generous (in both taste and % by volume, it came in at a whacking 15%! No wonder it was a good night!!)
What the photo does not show is the saffron aioli which we added at the end and the silky pasta coated in stock underneath. These brought the dish together and ... well yes as I said I'd be happy to eat it anywhere, anytime. To have it at home was a treat beyond my mere words. YUM happy tum.
The seafood items are difficult for most people to source for one dish but here in Dubai we have the most sublime of seafood it is actually possible to do such a stunning creation. The red mullet is a local catch (as are the prawns and clams). Fresh as fresh and fresh off the boat. An absolute honour to fillet, pin bone, de vein, clean, everything. Fresh from the sea is fresh from the sea. It's all just so sensationally clean smelling that dealing with it becomes a pleasure rather than a chore.
Tonight, we cooked together. We made a stock from the red mullet bones and prawn heads (saving one full prawn each. We love eating the heads (and for those of you who are saying yuk - I feel pity), saffron, pastis, white wine, fennel, onion, dill the usual then reduced.
Pasta is an easy knock up and fresh is best. Dried has an unusually slimey texture. Fine for a knock up but given an extra 10 minutes the fresh stuff is so silky it does not ever compete with dried (no matter what you read and Italians do not use dried pasta unless they are out of time which is common place. Fresh is a different ingredient that cannot be compared).
We cooked the prawns, cleaned of vein but with the shell on, in a hot pan. The shell imparts so much flavour and cooked in a little oil on a searing heat means they are edible and lend a lovely crunch (along with the taste). The clams went into the reduced stock in the final moments before tossing through the pasta. A little fresh chopped fennel and tomato, dill and chives were added as a finishing touch.
Without a doubt one of the best seafood dishes we have had ever anywhere. No this is not an exaggeration. Pure essence of the sea beautifully balanced. The additions of anise flavours, sweetness and acidity along with a little saffron. Very difficult to fault and who wants to fault a dish that all you are doing is eating and not touching the wine which was one of Slovenia's finest.
On to the wine. We picked it up from the wine maker who owned the villa in which we stayed late May. A Sauvignon but not as you know it. Mealy, nutty and generous (in both taste and % by volume, it came in at a whacking 15%! No wonder it was a good night!!)
What the photo does not show is the saffron aioli which we added at the end and the silky pasta coated in stock underneath. These brought the dish together and ... well yes as I said I'd be happy to eat it anywhere, anytime. To have it at home was a treat beyond my mere words. YUM happy tum.
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